A lifeguard may save you from drowning. A firefighter may save you from the flames of a burning house. An organ donor’s donation may save your life in the loss of theirs. Adoptive parents may rescue you from a less-than-desirable orphanage situation. These, and other heroic acts are certainly life-changing, and while there’s no belittling what each accomplishes, these sacrifices don’t compare to the loving sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In so doing, he rescued us from sin and eternal separation from the Father’s love.
And Jesus chose us while our lifestyle was completely at odds with a Kingdom lifestyle. Paul says it was when we were ‘dead in our trespasses and sins.’ Elsewhere, he said we were like this: ‘without God and without hope in this world.’ Jesus’ love for us preceded his birth in Bethlehem and continues to this day. Jesus, the Son of Man, our Savior, brought about the ultimate rescue, the most shocking and complete overturn of evil ever.
His love is no corporate PR stunt, no gimmick to garner Kudos, no stumping for votes in an upcoming election. Jesus freely accepted the Father’s Love Mission to wrest humanity free from the clutches of Satan and his demons. He stayed the course, finished the work he was called to do, died, was buried, and resurrected to seal us in him for all eternity. All who hear, and accept his Lordship, find new life, the shared resurrection life of Jesus!
Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus said to his troubled disciples, ‘Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.’ Jn 15:13, NLT. I wonder when the disciples were finally able to piece together those then-cryptic words with what they had witnessed at Calvary. I wonder what the reaction was when they fully realized the impact of ‘no greater Love.’ I wonder what impact those words have on us today? Have we begun to feel the depth, the buoying power, the wholeness of energy, the Shalom, of being loved with that kind of intense and genuine love? PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.